Electronic devices are proliferating at a prodigious rate. In 2004, there were no smartphones and now there are over two billion. Besides traditional computing devices such as computers, laptops, tablets and gaming consoles, information gathering, processing and signaling capabilities are being added to billions of other devices, from household appliances to TV's, cars, toys and everything in between (the Internet of Things). Sensors of innumerable shapes, sizes and capability are being developed and deployed for every conceivable purpose, from tracking people's health and activity to monitoring the environment, tracking goods and shipments, monitoring consumption and use of food, bandages, money as well as almost anything else imaginable. Virtually the entire world and reachable space is being instrumented and monitored.
All of the aforementioned endpoints/devices/sensors have some level of storage, transmission or interconnection capability and rely on some combination of hardware and software to deliver part or all of their functionality. Just as the number of these endpoints are exploding, so are the number of hacks and unauthorized uses of these devices. In addition, many endpoints or the software that runs on them (apps on computers, tablets or smartphones as an example) gather information with or without the willing knowledge or participation of their users or the people around them. Consumers rarely read the terms and conditions which are presented to them and if they wish to use popular apps, their only option is usually to accept such terms and conditions, further enabling over-reaching apps.
Accordingly, there is a growing need to provide individuals, business and governments with the ability to control their privacy and information security. Any new hardware and/or software that provides this protection can be used as a platform to provide a wide variety of additional functions or services that further enhance the utility, features and functions of the associated endpoints/devices or provide entirely new functionality, such as a distributed sensor network. Further, the platform can provide a high level of security for a secure facility, and enable users to access at least some functionality based on a specified level of security/control.